Everybody's Changing
by fireandflood
Summary: Every type of relationship, be it a romance, a friendship, or a feud, invokes transformations. Some changes can be small and insignificant. Others are much larger. Kurt didn't realize how much would change when he visited a private school a few hours away
1. Chapter 1

_Normal_

_adj._

Conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

In a thousand lifetimes Kurt never believed it could be this bad. Hadn't he already had his tragedy? Surely he deserved a few pain free years after the death of his mother. Yet things only worsened. The seemingly never ending downward spiral continued. As the kids at school grew older they realized that Kurt wasn't contained within the boundaries that society defined as _normal_. It wasn't _normal_ for a boy to dress with as much care and precision as Kurt did. It wasn't _normal_ for a boy to spend as much time getting ready as Kurt did. It wasn't _normal_ for a boy to look that way at other boys. Therefore Kurt wasn't _normal._ As the years passed, everyone learnt new slurs, new insults, and new ways to cause pain. As Kurt grew older, his outlook on the world darkened. Everyday was as dark as the night sky to him.

It was only the Glee club that kept his world from completely collapsing. He knew that everyone tried, but no matter what they just couldn't understand what it was like to be submitted to this treatment day after day. They experienced some of the same torture, slushie facials, awful names thrown out in the crowded hallway, but it was still different. They could quit Glee club at anytime and become yet another invisible member of the school. Kurt would always stick out. He would always be the target for haters and bullies no matter what. The boys in the club tried to help him. They just didn't understand that one misplaced insult could slice directly through Kurt's defenses. They thought his armour was strong enough to keep out the stereotypical comments they threw in his directions. They forgot that even the strongest of armour becomes battered and weakened after years in battle. Perhaps that one comment from Puck was enough to tip him over the edge.

So he ran.

He ran to a place where no one knew his name. No one knew his face. No one knew his voice. No one knew his past.

The uniformity of Dalton scared him. The second he stepped through the doors he felt out of place. He had worn his best imitation of a uniform but it was clear he stood out. Kurt walked quickly past the office, keeping his head down as to not draw attention to himself. He didn't want to get kicked out because even completing his mission.

But what was his mission?

Puck had told him to spy on the Glee club here, but was that really why he had driven two hours to be here? Kurt was of the opinion that the New Direction didn't need to stoop to the level of spying in order to win. They had the talent, they had the voices, they had the dance moves. They didn't need to know what their competition was up to. They would wipe the floor with them anyway.

So why was he here?

Was it to prove to Puck and the boys that he could do something useful? They wouldn't let him plan their song so he needed to pour his efforts into another outlet. He was so sick of being torn down all the time. He wasn't sure he could take another negative comment, especially from the people who were meant to hold him up, not rip him back down. Sometimes it felt that tearing him down was all Glee club did. He never got the solos, his song choices were always shot down. He understood the need to be a team player but the diva inside of him was screaming out. Was a little appreciation too much to ask for?

He had tricked his mind into believing this was the reason he was at Dalton. He just wanted to prove to the club that he could be useful. Perhaps if he got some interesting information he would be rewarded with a solo at Sectionals. Yet his heart knew the real reason he was here. He wanted to see what this school was like. This mysterious all boys school that he'd never heard of until Mr. Schue had announced their competition. An all boys private school must have some out and proud boys like him, right?

He just couldn't handle being alone anymore.

He needed to know that there was someone else like him out there. Another gay teenager stuck in the confines of hateful Ohio. He wanted a boyfriend but he didn't need one. What he needed right now was to know there was someone else going through this too.

In his haze of confusion, Kurt had absent mindedly wandered through the school. He found himself on a winding staircase with people rushing by him. People that seemed to be heading in the same direction.

"Excuse me" he called out to a boy in front of him, in hopes that he would be able to find out where everyone was going.

The conversation was brief but it was long enough for Kurt to determine that the school's glee club was actually liked. Clearly this school was nothing like McKinley in more ways than one. This boy, _Blaine_, actually had a full, albeit short, conversation with Kurt without throwing out any derogatory slurs or insults. Although if he had, Kurt was more than prepared for a come back. Really, who needs that amount of hair gel anyway?

Then Blaine had reached for his hand.

Oh.

That was unexpected.

To have this stranger take his hand, even though Kurt was sure it was just in the platonic "follow me" way, was more than Kurt could take. Such a simple gesture tore straight through his carefully crafted exterior and nearly broke him. Hand holding had always meant so much to Kurt. For him, it was more intimate than a kiss. It was what had gotten him through his mother's death. It was something he craved with his entire being, someone who cared enough to hold his hand. He had been treated like vermin for so long – like something that shouldn't be touched because it was ridden with disease. He had almost forgotten what the gentle touch of a hand in his was like. Mercedes held his hand sometimes, but this was different. It was as though this stranger had looked straight into his mind and determined what Kurt needed most. It was as though this stranger cared enough that he wanted to make Kurt feel better. It was as though this stranger wanted to make Kurt realize that he was not alone.

* * *

><p>Kurt glanced down at the coffee sleeve that had sat on his desk, unmoved for the past few days. A phone number was inked near the collar with the name Blaine scrawled quickly underneath it. There had been no contact between the two since they had gone out for coffee immediately after Kurt's horrific endeavor as a spy. Kurt was too afraid to make the first move; he didn't want to scare Blaine off by being too clingy. He'd given Blaine his phone number too so Kurt had planned on waiting for Blaine to make the first contact; but three days later he hadn't heard a word from him. Kurt lay his head down on the desk, berating himself for letting someone who could have been a bright spot in his life walk away without a fight.<p>

He should have called.

He should have said thank you to Blaine for not walking out when he had started crying.

He should have done so many things differently.

Kurt was shocked out of his reverie by his phone sounding loudly by his ear.

_Incoming call: Blaine_

Kurt tried to squash the feeling of his heart jumping into his throat before he picked up the phone. He refused to get his hope up, Blaine could have pocket dialed him for all he knew.

"Hello?" Kurt bit his lip, holding his breathing and waiting for an answer.

"Kurt? Um hi, it's Blaine….from Dalton." Blaine's voice crackled through the speaker.

"Hi, Blaine." A wide smile crept upon Kurt's face as soon as he heard Blaine's voice. He tried to keep his voice steady, not letting it give away just how excited he was.

"I haven't heard from you since we had coffee. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Blaine continued.

"I'm alright." The smile never left Kurt's face. It felt amazing to finally have someone who understood what he was going through. _Someone who cared._

"You sure? Is that jerk still out to get you?" Blaine persisted.

"It's not that bad." Kurt didn't tell Blaine that he couldn't remember the last time he walked down the hall without being slammed into a locker. "You didn't get too much trouble for bring a spy to a performance, did you?" Kurt desperately hoped that Blaine could sense his tone and realize that he didn't want to talk about Karofsky.

The pair bantered back and forth for awhile before realizing how late it was.

"Woah, when did the sun go down?" Kurt fingered the curtains hanging by the window. He had a habit of pacing when he was on the phone and had ended up in the empty living room.

"I don't know, it was still light out when I called you. I better go. I still have a history worksheet to finish." It almost seemed like here was a tinge of regret to Blaine's voice. Kurt shook his head, trying to clear such absurd thoughts from entering his mind.

"Yeah, I have still have Spanish homework. You would think that my Spanish teacher would be a little more lenient, seeing as how he's our glee club director too." Kurt hesitated for a moment. "Thank you for calling me, Blaine. It really means a lot to have someone I can finally relate too." He added quietly.

"Don't be a stranger, okay Kurt?" Blaine said just a quietly. "You can call me anytime you want to. Have a good night." There was a click as the line disconnected.

Kurt collapsed on the couch, unable to control his smile. He lay there, hugging a cushion to his chest, until his dad came home from work.

* * *

><p>Kurt slammed the door behind him. He sprinted down the stairs leading to the room he shared with Finn. He'd never been more thankful that Finn was busy with football practice. He wouldn't have been able to explain this to Finn. He threw his bag somewhere in his room, tears blinding him as he ran into the bathroom.<p>

His knees slammed into the tiled floor as he crumpled over the toilet. His stomach heaved, bile forced its way up his throat as he relived the memory again.

Kurt could still feel meaty hands grabbing the side of his face. He could still taste the repulsive flavour on his lips.

He felt dirty. He felt unclean. He felt used.

His hand shot out, turning the dial on the shower quickly. He didn't wait for the water to reach the right temperature. He stepped under the harsh spray, almost slipping in his anxiousness to cleanse himself. The water slowly changed from freezing to scalding hot. He could feel it burning his back, but he didn't change it. He needed to be decontaminated.

Kurt lost track of time. Eventually the hot water ran out, but he stayed under the spray. It didn't help. He still felt just as used, just as dirty.

He stumbled out of the shower, not bothering to properly dry himself before shoving himself into the nearest clothes he could find. His entire body was shaking as he headed back into his room. His bag lay on the floor near the stairs.

Kurt's hands scrambled over the clips, trying to open the bag. It took him a few tries before he could open it and it was another few moments before he found his phone.

The screen was cracked from where he had dropped it. Blaine's message was still open.

_Courage_

It was as though the message was mocking him.

He had tried courage and look where he had ended up.

Without really thinking about it, he hit the call button. The phone only rang twice before the person on the other end answered.

"Hey Kurt." Blaine's friendly tone greeted him.

Kurt drew in a shaky breath before speaking.

"I need you."

* * *

><p>"Come on. I'll buy you lunch."<p>

Kurt cast his eyes downwards as they walked down the McKinley steps. He was angry at himself for believing that Blaine would kiss him when he admitted he'd never been kissed. Blaine was just here to be a friend, a mentor. There was no way he could ever reciprocate Kurt's feelings.

Kurt turned down the hallway leading to the cafeteria. He instinctively jerked when a hand landed on his arm, pulling him back slightly. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the shove that would send him careening into the lockers. It didn't come. He opened his eyes slowly, Blaine stood in front of him, his hand still clutching Kurt's arm, confusion clouding his hazel eyes. It took a moment before the clouds of confusion were cleared up by a sudden realization. His eyes flickered down to his hand still on Kurt's arm, back up to Kurt's blue eyes that were wide with panic.

"Shit, Kurt." He'd never heard Blaine swear before. "I didn't think, I just…" Blaine trailed off, unable to articulate his thoughts.

"It's okay." Kurt managed to get out once his erratic breathing calmed slightly. "I'm easily startled at the moment. You just what?"

"Just wanted to say that my car's that way." Blaine finally released his grip on Kurt's jacket, his fingers smoothing over the wrinkled fabric until it lay flat.

"Okay?" Kurt said uncertainly, unsure as to why Blaine was providing him with this information. Blaine smiled slightly before turning and walking in the direction he had indicated previously. "Blaine?" Kurt called out tentatively. "The cafeteria's that way." Kurt jerked his thumb in the direction of the hallway behind him. Blaine frowned at this.

"When I said I'd buy you lunch, I meant actual food, not whatever synthetic material they serve you in there." He waved vaguely towards the cafeteria. "Are there any good restaurants around here?"

"You don't have to do that." Kurt mumbled.

"It's not about have to, Kurt. I know I have to, but I want to. So I'll ask again, are there any good restaurants around here?" Blaine persisted with a good humored smile.

"There's…um," Kurt's thoughts wandered slightly as he thought about actually going somewhere nice and having lunch with Blaine. He blushed when he realized that Blaine was still waiting patiently for an answer. "There's a nice coffee shop close by. We go there after Glee club sometimes."

"Sounds perfect." Blaine smiled before walking away; he turned slightly, beckoning with his hand, indicating to Kurt that he should follow.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. There were a few students milling around in the hall, getting things out of their lockers before heading to the cafeteria or courtyard. They all gave the pair questionably glances, but they were directed more toward Blaine than Kurt.

"I guess I probably should have changed out of my uniform" Blaine mumbled, tugging self consciously at his blazer.

"You should always look into dress code if you want to blend at another school, Blaine" Kurt teased.

"Well I see that worked spectacularly well for you, _new kid_. The second you got my attention on those stairs I knew you were a spy." Blaine nudged Kurt lightly in the side.

Kurt stopped upon hearing this. It took Blaine a few steps before he realized that Kurt was no longer beside him. Kurt waited until Blaine turned around, until he could see Blaine's face before asking the question.

"Why did you take me to the performance if you knew I was a spy?" Kurt asked.

Blaine paused, uncertainty crossing his features. "I don't know." He admitted, "I just wanted to get to know you a little better, I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"But I was spying on you. You should have kicked me out straight away" Kurt persisted.

"I don't know, Kurt. I really don't. It just happened. I didn't even think there was another option. You were standing there, in your sad attempt at a school uniform," Kurt scoffed at this, "asking what was going on. Why wouldn't I take you with me? It was the only thing that made sense to do in my mind. It wasn't until after, when Wes asked me who you were, that it even occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't have brought you along. But let me make one thing clear, Kurt." Blaine stepped a little closer. "I don't regret bringing you along. Not for one second. I don't care what you've told your Glee club about the Warblers. It doesn't matter." Blaine bit his lip for a moment, looking slightly uncertain as to whether or not he should continue. "Do you remember what you said to me the first time we spoke on the phone? About how you needed someone to relate to?" Kurt nodded. "The same goes for me too, Kurt. I need you just as much as you need me."

Kurt stood still, trying to think of an appropriate response. None immediately came to mind, but Blaine spoke again before Kurt had the chance.

"Come on then, if we don't leave now we'll never get you back in time for your next class". Blaine smiled, showcasing his ability to mask any emotion in the blink of an eye.

"I have study hall next anyway, it really doesn't matter." Kurt supplied.

"Perfect."

The coffee shop was generic.

There was a student sitting in the corner, his laptop out, empty cups of coffee surrounding him as he pounded at the keyboard frantically.

There was a couple sharing the loveseat in the corner, laughing quietly to one another, absorbed in their own world.

It was generic, but _The Lima Bean_ was perfect for them.

Kurt and Blaine found themselves sitting at a table near the middle of the coffee shop. A sandwich sat in front of Blaine and a salad in front of Kurt. They both picked slowly at their meals, paying more attention to the conversation than their food.

The conversation was light, topics ranged from lighthearted teasing about the rapidly approaching Sectionals to recent movies to complaining about classes.

It wasn't until Kurt made a simple comment that the conversation became more serious.

"What did you say?" Blaine asked, a shadow crossing his face.

"Which part?" Kurt didn't understand why Blaine looked so grim all of a sudden.

"The _normal_ part." The intensity behind Blaine's eyes was almost frightening.

"Um…If only I were_ normal_, then I wouldn't have to worry about washing red dye number five out of all of my clothing before getting to class?" Confusion was evident in his tone.

"Never ever say that again, Kurt" Blaine's tone was hard, shocking Kurt. Blaine must have seen Kurt flinch, his voice softened. "Are you saying you want to be like everyone else, Kurt? That you want to be like those jocks that make your life hell every single day?"

"Of course not." Kurt said quietly.

"Well that's what you're saying when you say you want to be _normal_. There's nothing good about being _normal_, Kurt. You'd just be another faceless being in the crowd. You're _unique_. That's so much better, Kurt. There's no one else in this world like you. No one with the same cares and concerns. No one with the same appearance. No one with the same fashion sense. No one with the same personality. You're _unique_. You're Kurt Hummel, and that's all you should ever want to be." Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand, desperately trying to convince Kurt of what he was saying. "Never try to be _normal_. There's no one else like Kurt Hummel."

_Unique_

_adj._

Being the only one of its kind

Without an equal or equivalent; unparalleled.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>

Any comments/advice/constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks for stopping by! :)


	2. Chapter 2

_Nervous_

_ adj._

Highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive

Easily agitated or distressed; high-strung or jumpy

Kurt didn't understand. His clothing collection was extensive. His wardrobe contained more designer labels than the rest of the population of Lima combined. Yet he didn't have a single thing to wear. Well, nothing that he deemed appropriate anyway. He couldn't find anything that said 'I'm really glad to be spending time with my new friend' but also subtly suggested 'If you wanted to make out with me in the back of the theatre, I wouldn't protest'.

He twisted his fingers together anxiously. His heartbeat was racing and his palms were sweating. Kurt Hummel didn't get _nervous_. What on earth was going on? He was just going out to see a movie with a friend. Since when was that a reason to be nervous?

Somewhere, beneath the mound of clothes stack on his bed, his phone buzzed. It took Kurt a few minutes to reach the phone, he needed to move the clothing without it being wrinkled after all, but when he did he saw that there was a new text message from the person who was causing all this anxiety.

_I'm really excited about seeing Tangled with you. I've been trying to find someone to see it with for ages. Thanks for agreeing to go with me :) -Blaine_

Kurt groaned and collapsed on his bed, careful not lie on any clothes. He stared at the text for a few minutes before scrolling through his contacts and picking out a name. The phone only rang twice before it was answered.

"How's it going, white boy?" Mercedes' voice chirped through the phone.

"I need help." Kurt whined, running a hand through his hair. He was so frustrated that the state of his hair didn't even bother him.

"With what?" She questioned, Kurt could hear the confusion in her voice already.

"I don't know what to wear." He complained.

"Well that's a first." Mercedes laughed. "What on earth has this boy done to you?"

"Mercedes!" Kurt huffed

"Well it's true! I never thought I'd see the day where Kurt Hummel didn't know what to wear." Mercedes chided.

"Alright alright, I get it. Are you done teasing me so you can actually help now?" Kurt sighed.

"Sure thing, white boy"

* * *

><p>Blaine had decided that it was impractical for Kurt to meet him at the movie theatre when he had to drive past Kurt's house to get there anyway, so he had told Kurt that'd he'd pick him up in the afternoon and they could drive together. It had seemed like a great idea at the time. Kurt wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to spend more time with Blaine.<p>

But now Kurt was regretting agreeing to this decision.

Should he wait for Blaine inside? Or would that make Blaine feel like he was being forced into making small talk with Kurt's family.

What about outside? Or would that make Blaine think that Kurt was ashamed of him and didn't want to introduce Blaine to his family?

Kurt eventually decided to play it safe by waiting by the window. This way he could see Blaine when he pulled into the driveway and he would be able to make it outside to meet him before Blaine could make it to the front door. He tugged nervously on the hem of his oversized sweater. Mercedes had helped him throw together an outfit the night before, but he still couldn't help the thoughts racing through his head that were saying that it still wasn't good enough.

He didn't really know how to spend time alone with Blaine. When they'd gone out for lunch, it hadn't been planned. Kurt hadn't had time to worry over every detail. They'd been planning to see this movie for days. Kurt had gone through every scenario in his mind. He was terrified.

This was different from hanging out with Rachel or Mercedes. All of his close friends were female. His previous experiences with boys hadn't gone over too well. In hindsight, he knew that he'd come on too strong during the whole Finn debacle. He was glad that situation was finally smoothing over but now Finn was really the only boy he knew how to act around, and that was only because they'd been living together for a decent amount of time now.

He didn't know how to treat Blaine. He certainly didn't want to scare him away like he had with Finn. He knew the situation was different, Blaine was actually gay unlike Finn, but that still didn't stop the fear of rejection from creeping into his heart

Before he could let his thoughts get too far, he saw Blaine's car roll into the driveway. He yelled out a quick goodbye to his family before leaping to the door.

"Hey." A surprised look crossed Blaine's face when Kurt swung the door open just as he was walking up the pathway to the front of the house. "You ready to go?"

Kurt nodded mutely, not trusting himself to speak. He was busy taking in Blaine's appearance. It was the first time he'd seen him out of uniform. It was a simple outfit, but the dark red of the tee-shirt somehow made Blaine's hair look even darker. His hair was loose of the gel that Kurt now instantly detested. It was a crime that Blaine ever kept his curls locked away in all that hair gel.

It wasn't until Kurt had his hand on the passenger door handle to Blaine's car that he realized he hadn't actually said anything. He'd just sort of been ogling Blaine the entire time. Now that Kurt had realized this though, he had no idea what to say. All the ideas he'd had for conversation topics had fled from his brain, leaving him clueless.

He slid into the car, buckling his seatbelt quickly to give his hands something to do. His eyes darted quickly around the car, looking for something to comment on, something to start a conversation with. He couldn't find anything. Blaine's car was tidy, it wasn't anything super fancy or expensive like some of the cars he'd seen at Dalton, but it wasn't an old beater either.

They were both silent as the car pulled out of Kurt's driveway. It wasn't a comfortable silence either, like it had been the other day over lunch. This silence was completely awkward. Kurt gripped his hands tightly together in his lap, trying to focus on something other than the tension between the pair.

"So…" Blaine drew out the word, obviously trying to find a way to break the ice. "Are you-"

"Your hair." Kurt blurted out before he realized what he was saying.

Oh god.

He had so not meant to say that.

Abort. Abort mission.

"My hair?" Blaine asked after a second, confusion etched all over his face.

"I-I-" Kurt spluttered for a moment, trying to backpedal furiously. "It's curly." He finished lamely.

"Um." Blaine didn't look any less confused. "Yes, I know it's curly. People have curly hair, you know?" He chuckled awkwardly.

Kurt winced at his own lack of tact. "Oh, I know. I just meant that you hadn't let – I mean I hadn't seen-" He floundered. "It's just usually gelled back." Kurt slumped down in his seat, feeling utterly embarrassed.

"What? Is it that bad?" Blaine shot Kurt a self-deprecating smile, trying to make light of the awkward situation that Kurt had steered them into.

"No!" Kurt exclaimed far more quickly than someone who was pretending to have platonic feelings should. "Of course not. It's just different, that's all."

"It used to be a lot worse that this. It was much longer. Pretty much impossible to control." Blaine raised a hand to his head, perhaps to gesture how big his hair had been at some point in the past, Kurt wasn't really sure though.

Blaine talked with his hands a lot; that was something Kurt was beginning to notice. Blaine was extremely expressive. Kurt didn't mind though, it gave him an excuse to stare at Blaine's hands without looking too creepy. Blaine had lovely hands. Kurt was pretty sure that a guitar had caused the calluses on his fingertips. Kurt remembered feeling the toughness of Blaine's skin meet the softness of his own when Blaine and taken Kurt's hand on the day they met. It made Kurt long to see Blaine with one hand wrapped around the neck of a guitar while the other strummed out the melody of a love song. Preferably a love song directed at Kurt.

"Why did you cut it?" Kurt asked, shaking himself out of his daydream.

"I wasn't kidding when I said it was long. I'm talking like small afro length here."

"Seriously?" Kurt asked incredulously before a fit of laughter washed over him at the image of Blaine sporting said hairstyle.

Blaine grimaced. "Not my best fashion decision."

"I need to see a photo of this." Kurt wheezed through his laughter.

"No!" Blaine exclaimed quickly, "I'll be hiding those photos anytime you visit."

Kurt blushed at the implication that they would be spending more time together; that Blaine actually wanted to spend more time with him.

"You can't hide them forever, I'll find them eventually."

Kurt's nerves had been forgotten. He thought back to how worried he had been. It was ridiculous. Blaine was easy to be around. Kurt didn't have to worry.

"Try me, Hummel. You're never getting those photos." Blaine glanced over at Kurt in the passenger seat, grinning.

"You never answered me before. Why'd you cut it?"

The change in the atmosphere was immediate. Everything was suddenly silent. All the warmth and laughter from earlier was gone instantaneously, replaced with a thick, tense feeling flowing throughout the car. Blaine's hands had tightened around the wheel; his knuckles were white from the pressure. His back was ramrod straight, his face a mask. Kurt's nerves were back immediately. He didn't know what he had done, but he must have offended Blaine in some way. Just as he was opening his mouth to apologize, Blaine began to speak.

"Do you remember me telling you that I was taunted at my old school?" He spoke quietly, Kurt almost had to strain to hear him.

"Blaine, you don't have to tell me. I had no idea that question was so -" Kurt began to apologize.

"No." Blaine cut him off quickly, "It's okay. You deserve to know."

Kurt nodded but he stayed silent. He knew that Blaine would speak again when he was ready.

"Near the end of my time at my old school, the bullies began to get a bit more physical." Blaine looked over to see if Kurt was still following. He gave a small nod to indicate that he was and tried to send Blaine an encouraging and understanding smile. Blaine smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I tried to talk to the staff about it, like I told you before, but they did nothing. Things kept getting worse and worse until-" Blaine cut off. He swallowed thickly and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I actually have no memory of what happened, which is a good thing I guess. I just know what the doctors told me and they got that information from students who saw what happened." Blaine took another breath before launching into the story. "My locker was upstairs and the quickest way for me to get out of the building was to take the outdoor stairwell. I always used that staircase, it was usually pretty empty and I could get out off there without gaining any unwanted attention. I guess I must have gone that way again that day but my bullies had cottoned on to the fact that I always went out that way."

Kurt smiled at his use of the phrase "cotton on to". It was a very Blaine thing to say.

"I don't know what happened, but I assume they must have been waiting for me at the top of the stairs. Apparently I was trying to get away and one of them grabbed my jacket to make me stay and listen. I can only imagine they had a few choice words specifically for me. When he let me go, he pushed me back. I lost my balance and fell. I cracked my head open on one of the concrete stairs, I don't know which one, apparently the blood trail on the stairs was pretty big. The janitors never really got the blood out, at least that's what I heard, I guess I left my mark on the school then, huh?" Blaine joked.

Kurt didn't laugh.

"But, in order to stitch my head up, they had to shave part of my hair. As soon as I was well enough to go back to school, I transferred to Dalton. The whole afro look wasn't really conducive to the blazer and tie anyway, so I cut it off. It's a lot easier to manage now anyway." Blaine unbuckled his seatbelt and moved so his back was against the car door. He crossed his legs on the seat, facing Kurt. Kurt mirrored his position.

Kurt wasn't really sure when they had arrived at the movie theatre, but there they were. He'd been too busy listening to Blaine. He was filled with a great sadness that someone as wonderful as Blaine had been subjected to something that horrible. There was an anger burning within him as well. How could anyone treat someone that way? Why couldn't they see what he saw when he looked at Blaine? A kind, selfless individual that didn't deserve the horrors of his past.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. I'm so sorry" Kurt didn't really know what else to say.

"Don't be. It's in the past now. Besides, if that hadn't happened, I might never have transferred. Then who would you have stopped on the stairwell in your sad attempt to gain inside information?" Blaine teased, a bit of light creeping back into his eyes.

Kurt tried to stop himself from asking, but he just had to know. "Was there any permanent damage?"

"Not really, thank god. I have to take anti-seizure medication though. I'll have to take it for a while." Blaine explained to a horrified Kurt.

"That's awful." Kurt whispered, a hand covering his mouth in shock.

Blaine shrugged, "It's been two years, I'm used to it" He paused for a moment, waiting to see if Kurt had any other questions to ask.

"Hey." Blaine whispered gently, leaning forward and capturing Kurt's hand in his. "It's okay. I'm fine, see? I'm not hurt anymore. You don't need to be upset." He ran his thumb along Kurt's skin, stoking the back of Kurt's hand. They stayed like that for a few moments. Blaine gave Kurt's hand a squeeze before letting go. "Now what do you say we let go of the serious talk for now and enjoy the movie?" The light was now fully back in his eyes now, his smile as charming as ever.

Kurt nodded in agreement, giving Blaine a smile in return before uncrossing his legs and moving to get out of the car. His hand hesitated on the car door handle. His nerves were back again. The butterflies fluttering in his stomach. A voice in his mind that always voiced his worst thoughts told him that he was going to wreck everything. He would say something stupid or offensive to Blaine. Blaine had been understanding the first time, but he wouldn't stand for it a second time. He'd drive Kurt home and politely inform him that they should now go their separate ways and never speak again. Kurt was going to screw this up.

Blaine was waiting for Kurt on the sidewalk, a kind expression gracing his features. It was almost as though Kurt could feel a wave of calmness washing over him.

This was Blaine. The Blaine he had called crying when Karofsky had kissed him. The Blaine that had skipped school and driven two hours to help him confront his bully. The Blaine that had bought him lunch when the whole confrontation thing didn't go so well. The Blaine that told Kurt to never let go of his uniqueness.

He'd didn't need to be afraid of Blaine. It didn't matter if he said something moronic, Blaine would just laugh it off. It didn't matter if he cried at a Disney movie in front of him, Blaine would probably be doing the same anything. His nerves were gone. The butterflies were still there, but that was for a different reason. He joined Blaine on the sidewalk and they walked together to the entrance, their hands brushing each other lightly as they walked.

_Calm_

_ adj._

Serenity; tranquility; peace.

Without rough motion

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>

**AN: **Feedback is always welcome and appreciated! :)


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